Give it all to God!

Cast all you anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

A friend has something on her mind, so you sit with her in a quiet place and ask her about it. Tearfully, she explains her dilemma. But before you can say anything or offer your help, she leaves, taking her anguish along with her.

            We do the same thing when we bring our burdens to God, then pick them right up again. We do it when we deliver our sins to the foot of His cross, then continue to bear the weight of our guilt, and when we ask for God’s help, but insist on solving our problems in our own way.

            In the life and ministry of Jesus, God’s Son, we see God’s mercy, compassion, and power at work in the lives of people – people with devastating sicknesses and people with little to hope for. He healed them! He delivered them! He died on the cross and rose again to show us His victory over our most deadly problem, sin. He took the guilt of our sin on His shoulders! It’s gone!

            Gather up everything that weighs on your heart, and carry the load to your heavenly Father and place it at His feet. Humbly accept His words of forgiveness, then walk away, arms free and heart at peace. This is His love at work in you.

Helen Steiner Rice – A Celebration of God’s Love

There's Gonna Be Brighter Days

Donald has been laid to rest. He is in Heaven enjoying beautiful music, running for the first time since he was a child, playing his guitar and laughing at all of us trying to make it without him. We, (Pat, Dana, Yvette, Noelle and I) were all sitting at the kitchen table a short while ago when the girls came running in screaming "Christopher is on top of a snake". "What do you mean he is on top of a snake?" I asked. We all go running outside to find Christopher has pinned a huge snack under the tire of his power wheels 4-wheeler. How he managed to pin it perfectly is beyond me but I am sure Donald had something to do with it. He would have been so proud. So, we are all standing around watching the snake and trying to figure out what to do. Patricia calls the neighbor and he wasn't home but was on his way. Patricia comes out of the house with a gun and I had gone to the shop and retrieved a shovel. Upon returning to the scene I found the snake was lose. He headed for the house and I stabbed at him with the shovel, at which point he turns back at me and I jump back. He heads back towards the house and I stab him, pinning him just before he is fully out of sight under the back porch. I am shaking like a leaf at this point and hear this loud bang from behind me. Patricia was checking to see if the gun would shoot. (as if I wasn't scared enough) LOL!!! Patricia couldn't get a good shot because there were rocks everywhere and she was afraid she might miss. Dana and I looked at each other and said " If Donald were here this wouldn't be a problem because when he saw it he would have either shot it because it was poisonous or picked it up because it wasn't." So, I am now standing with the shovel stabbing into the middle of the snake and still shaking. Our neighbor brings over another shovel and a limb cutting device. Dana takes the limb cutter and pins the snake and cuts it's head off. Upon further examination of the snake after it's death, it was determined that it was a cotton mouth. Looking back on the situation as a whole it was very comical. I am sure Donald got a good laugh out of it. I believe this was his way of telling us we will all make it without him. We all just need to stick together and lean on each other for support. It could have been a bad outcome but instead it was a life lesson learned for all of us. It's the little things that keep us going day to day. Thank you Lord for all you have done for us and for giving us all strength and courage to face each new day without our sweet Donald. We are so blessed to have each other to get through the days to come. I don't know what people do in times like these without having a personal relationship with the Lord. I know I would not be in a good place. I am so Thankful to be a part of the family of God because I know there are going to be brighter days. There will come a day with no more pain, tears or fears. I can't wait for that joyous reunion when we are all finally taken home. Praise God! Praise God! Praise God!